


How Long Will it Be?

by WaffleNights



Category: Flight Rising, Original Work
Genre: Arcane Flight (Flight Rising), Clan Lore (Flight Rising), Dragon Lore (Flight Rising), Gijinka, Ice Flight (Flight Rising)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:00:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24684976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaffleNights/pseuds/WaffleNights
Summary: The Temple is a clan isolated in the Starwood Strand. Church is tired of it and searching for an out.I like assholes making friends and finding a place in the worldSo here’s something about my sons I wrote 3 years ago





	1. a little faith

Church was slumped behind a fence wall, starting to slide down. Church always gets out before there’s proof he was there, but taking cover from an average distance was good enough at the moment.  
His shoulder felt like shit, searing with pressure not working all too well. The injuries ensured he couldn’t get too far. This is what he gets, he repeated to himself, this is what he gets. Why did he do this? Oh Arcanist, fuck, what did they do to make the pain so bad?! Great job guys! We brought some random ass people to the place with nearly no guards to make sure they don’t attack anyone! Hope the students don’t mind!  
Suddenly heavy steps echoed around the corner, and he tried his best to curl up and go unnoticed. When the maker came around, it ended up being the cause of this shit show.  
The whole reason Church got as hurt as he was now, was because someone got ganged up on. In his defense, they were all Lightning dragons, so any electricity wouldn’t have done too much damage. That being said, three on three is a lot more even than, you know, three on one after the punk and his friend booked it. This is what Church gets. He saw a fight, but picked a losing side. It wasn’t even a reputation issue, he knew both sides were solely composed of outsiders, no one repping the Temple except for Church.  
The two didn’t need to get turned on like that though. Both of ‘em were just trying to avoid a fight as much as they could. He felt bad. And look where that got him. Church could’ve turned the other cheek, what made him go for the losing side now?  
Why actually came back? The guy had the usual tundra cut curling around his horns, just as fluffy & pudgy, and in a big poncho topped with a sash, cuffed with an Ice symbol. He scoped around and ended up seeing Church. Bounding over, he whisper yelled “Hey, over here!”  
Church staggered onto his feet, trying to get away, but the pain kept him off balance. The tundra ran over, “Wait, don’t move, Ken!”  
Ken?   
“They’re a bit too far for whispers.” The guy’s number two followed shortly after.  
“Crash, for the gods’ sake- oh crap you actually found him.” Church braced himself for the next contestant to be a guard and getting caught. Yet another punishment for just picking another fight.  
“They really got you huh?” Church and the Ice kid glared at the new one. Nice one spiral, very polite to the one who saved you and your friend’s asses.  
“Thanks.” and spat in their direction.  
“Sorry.”  
“What are you two doing here?”  
“We came back to help!” Church turned. So they’re both daft. Gorgeous. Oh yeah we’ll come back to help after everyone scatters. Nice logic.  
“Pardon?”  
“To help... That’s okay, right?” Damn, this tundra’s got great puppy dog eyes. Would’ve done great at the Temple. A few dragons ran by the other side of the wall, and thankfully the newcomers knew to keep quiet. The spiral jumped up, seemingly watching whoever go by. After a bit the tundra turned back, waiting for him to answer.  
“Just, get out of here, before you get seen with me. You weren’t actually involved in the fight, no trouble’ll get come your way unless you’re searching for it.”  
“I’ll vouch for you, you were protecting us, why should you get punished?” Church looked away.  
“It’s alright, I’ll take care of this, don’t get involved.” ‘Ken’ jumped back down, patting his friend’s arm.  
“Crash, we gotta go.”  
“But-!”  
“Look,” his friend stepped around Crash and pulled a slip of paper out of a pocket. “He’s not going to stop until you are repaid. Here’s our info, we’ll be in town for a week or two, if you need anything he’ll be waiting with bated breath.”  
Church sighed and snagged the paper from his hand, “Fine, just go!”  
“Thank the gods, you heard him!” Ken grabbed Crash’s arm and dragged him off. And started waving. Idiot, now he actually needs to book it.

⊱ ─────────── {⋆⌘⋆} ─────────── ⊰

Church was certain. Felt like he got stabbed, not just magic. His stomach dropped and shook his head. Most of the time Church’s worst injuries were on his front, where he could easily see and patch, no big limping or big muscle tension. It was going to be a pain to gauze up from a double mirror trick.   
No easy cover up. Arcanist. The fuck was he supposed to do?   
Church walked through a small courtyard. Empty thankfully. He laid onto a bench, staring into space.  
Church was fucking tired. He got sick of getting into a fight every other day, practically knowing no one despite being here since he was fucking born, and just sitting by and keeping his mouth shut. Not just figuratively, how long had it been since he last talked? Before those two. There had been times where Church forgot his own voice.   
But what else did he have.  
Church sat up. He began to dig into his pockets, finding the paper the spiral gave him. Didn’t the guy say he’d only be there for, what, a couple weeks? He knew there was some recruiter in the group somewhere, right?   
What right did the Temple have to keep Church there? He’s a grown adult! They even let him moderate lower apprentices! Maybe not the highest, but Church is still fucking established in this hell hole! Yet he still is treated like shit but keeping all these damned expectations because he popped out of the aether one day. This day was no different. But maybe this day gave him...  
A way out. Away from the assholes and everything they’d done to him, and a chance to not rot away in this fucking place waiting for his magical purpose to break down their door.  
He smirked.


	2. offers taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Church crashes at the boy’s apartment

Kenway sighed in relief, plopping himself on a couch in the middle of the room. The small apartment seemed untouched, so no squatters popped in. His trinkets on the table in front of him lay untouched, so surprisingly they weren’t even looted. This Temple place seemed to have good faith in caring for the Summit’s people, but the spiral wouldn’t have been surprised if they did. Today had surely been teasing the hell out of the man. Crash had gotten a couple newbies for Yamato, but some dragons threatening the two were pissed at the whole recruiting thing. Yay for getting back home with only a couple scratches though! Crash was fine, so Ken considered the mission a success. Kenway’s job, Crash’s was... the opposite of what happened. In Kenway’s defense, he did not plan to get into a fight. Not like Crash could diplomat with lightning dragons refusing to listen to anything he said. Like Crash was so intimidating. His name was the worst indicator about him. Thank goodness for that random guardian. The two would’ve gotten their butts handed to them otherwise.   
Kenway sat up. What was his name even? If he trades in the favor he should know right? Did he not… Kenway turned and yelled into the hall.  
“Crash? What was that guardian’s name?!”  
...  
“You don’t know his name?”  
“... Sorry?”  
“Y-um-It's fine.” the spiral sighed and sank down his seat. It wasn’t, but his roommate needed a break. Yamato had been relying on Crash a lot for relations and the previously mentioned recruiting, no way would Kenway get him involved if he had a say in it. Kenway instead focused on why the hell he gave his friend’s and his own info to a total stranger just because he beat some people up for them. Not even a fucking name.   
That’s when someone started knocking.  
“Are you kidding me?” Ken smacked his face in annoyance. He couldn’t stop mulling over it even while opening the door. Seriously, Kenway could’ve asked his name when giving him the info, and now Crash could have owed a debt to a crimin-  
“Hey.” ... Correction; owed a debt to the nice person in front of his house, still having blood on him. In multiple places. “... Hi.”  
“I know this is weird, but, you’re still open for that ‘I owe you’ thing, right?”  
“I, uh, didn’t expect you so soon.”  
“I get the hint, I’ll bounce-“  
“Oh hi!” Crash bounded by the spiral and shook the guardian’s hand violently; apparently ignoring the blood on the man’s hands.  
“I thank you so much for earlier! What do you need?”   
“Do you have a place? I can... stay? Tonight? I’ll be gone by morning, I swear.”  
Ken scratched his neck, “Uh, not really,”  
“Yeah! We have a couch right over here!” No, Crash, please not his couch! Crash finally seemed mindful of the guy’s injuries, trying to guide him over, but he flinched his hand away whenever the tundra tried. This resulted in the guardian bumping into everything on the way over. Did this guy break his head earlier? Kenway flinched at a gash on his back. If they asked about any blood on the couch later, he could feign ignorance, right?  
“I’ve got some bandages and balms for your cuts too! Just gimme a second!” Crash dashed into the hall. The two stared at each other.  
“I’ll... go... help him.” Kenway sped walked over to the tundra and pulled him into the bathroom. He started trying to kindly put some sense into his friend; “Crash, what are you doing?!”  
“Getting him some-“  
“I know that! Why is he in our house? Why is he on my couch?!”  
Crash started digging through the cabinets. “Ken, he’s bleeding really bad-,“  
“Took you long enough to notice.”  
“-would you expect him to get home in that state?” Yeah, with how off balance the guy was, the spiral doubted he could get home without dropping. But why go to their temporary room? The two were just some random strangers who bailed on him! Does this clan thing not have healers? Ken shook his head, head falling into his hands.  
“Fine, but where am I supposed to sleep then?”  
“Oh, we can just have a sleepover in my room! It's only fair.” The tundra casually walked out of the room. Kenway froze. Oh hey, you have to leave your work out where a stranger could break your work, but they weren’t stolen so we’re cool right? You nearly get in a fist fight, but you get saved so we’re cool right? Your helper steals your spot, but you’re rooming with Crash so we’re cool; right? Stormcatcher, the hell is happening today!?

⊱ ─────────── {⋆⌘⋆} ─────────── ⊰

Kenway got up early to make sure their new roomie didn’t steal anything; but instead found the guardian still out cold on Ken’s couch. So much for ‘gone before morning.’ The spiral was very tempted to push him off it. The guy begrudgingly allowed Crash to patch him up, no way Ken was going to waste Crash’s work. But work was the focal point there. Kenway wanted to get to work on the gadgets on the table, but he usually lounged in his spot while he worked. Usually a couch. Which was being taken. Couldn’t take them to Crash’s room in case something broke, and no way he was working in the bathroom. Kenway sat on the end farthest from the guest, deciding on just trying to tough through the awkward.  
Thus he got to work. Tuning and fixing trinkets and armor, nice and simple for him. Everything was going well and dandy. He finally could breathe without a tightness in his chest for the first time in weeks. Then Kenway read over a certain request. “Where the hell am I supposed to get roo- rhaigh- roodoo-“  
“Rhodochrosite?” Kenway jumped, nearly falling over. The guardian- ‘You still haven’t asked his name!?-’ was just, peeking at him, only one eye open. He may have been bandaged up, but that doesn’t mean he looked any less aggressive to Kenway. You know; being watched. “Ye-yeah.”  
“They’re on the seaside. Ain’t that far. Just look for some vents.”  
“Wait, for free or-“  
“Yeah, unless someone else. You know. Tries to fight ya for ‘em.” Kenway rolled his eyes and fell back dramatically. Their friend curled his legs out of the way.  
“Great. How am I supposed to get this done? Sigh, can’t you like, buy this stuff?”  
“Yes. Could get wrecked getting it, so high price.”  
“Well fuck me I guess.”  
“Not me.” They huffed, and Ken snorted back.  
‘Good to see you’re fine now...’   
“You don’t seem so bad, big guy.”   
They let out a big yawn. “More or less. My thanks.”  
“No problem. Do you know more stuff I can only find here?”  
“Prolly.”  
“You are a great talker, huh?”  
Kenway had an idea. Maybe having sir bleeds a lot wasn’t all a bad thing, and this could work in both Ken and Crash’s favor. “Okay, okay. So, you know where to get this right?”  
“More or less...” The guy said slowly, starting to glare.  
“How much stuff do you know about other places? Like in field research stuff?” Ken smiled. The former did not respond, instead choosing to slowly sit up. Most likely for his injuries, but Kenway worried he crossed a line.  
“What do you mean?” he droned.  
“Well mister, um-“  
“Church.”  
“Church, you’re a scholar guy, right?”  
“... Yes. And?”  
“In that case I have a proposal. See, me and my friend down the hall are in an organization researching an old place out in the Southern Icefields. We’re always looking for new blood! Anyone who could help restore and discover. We’re going to be making rounds in this flight, then heading back. The biggest issue is how we don’t have too many guards. It’s far out, but-“  
At this, Church snickered. “I drop in your home, just bleed everywhere, and you try to give me a job? Didn’t even know my name when asking,” Church grinned and leaned his head on his palm, “The catch?”   
Yeah that did look kinda sketchy. “I don’t really see one. I’ve been with the outpost for years, and even while we’re still travelling, you’ll be accommodated nicely!”  
“Well think of one; no job is perfect.”  
“To the point huh? ... Well, you would have to come with us instead of staying in the temple. I don’t know if you’d be allowed back though.” He perked up in the middle. Maybe it was blasphemy for dragons to leave the temple? Kenway didn’t get immediately hit so the question couldn’t be too insulting, right?   
“I’m in.”  
“What?”  
“I said-“  
“No no, I heard you, but why the sudden change of heart?”  
“You just love questions; don’t ‘cha? That’s for me to know. You’re the one asking for me? Well you got me.”  
“Well; that’s great!” Dropping everything, Ken jumped up. “I’ll go tell-“  
Crash comes in yawning like a lion. When he went to greet the spiral, his eyes widened like an owl at Church.   
“... Hi!”  
“So he’s always like this?”  
“Better get used to it now.”


End file.
